Youth And Trust
by cpf
Summary: harry's 5th and a new teacher isn't quite what she seems......lol


As Harry settled himself in his compartment with Ron and Hermione, he was aware of all the other students' curious and somewhat fearful stares, as they walked past. A whole summer away from the wizarding world made him forget what people probably thought of him. But none of it seemed to matter much anymore. Although his fame was still a burden, it had taken a new form. His past no longer intrigued, but frightened other students. All except Harry's closer friends, who almost seemed as if they were trying to make up for it, by being overly friendly and making obviously forced conversation with him. It was almost unbearable if not for Ron and Hermione. There was concern in their tone but their respect and honesty were what mattered most to Harry.  
  
' Hey Ron, Hermione.Harry' Seamus' grin barely faltered as he turned to Harry, but he still noticed it. 'Parvati's saying there's a muggle on the train. Dunno whether to believe her or not. Nobody else saw her.'  
  
'Her?' Ron asked. Harry noticed Hermione's equally enquiring look, but in the direction of Ron instead.  
  
'Yeah. In muggle clothes and everything, but Parvati said she looked too old to be a student. How do you suppose she got on the platform?' Seamus laughed. 'Must of leaned on the barrier too much. Fell through and got a bit of a shock.'  
  
Ron and Harry laughed. Hermione was still looking at Ron. Apparently Ron and Hermione fell out during the summer. The letters from them both over summer had been,.. less than polite about the other, especially Ron's. But Harry could see no anger between them now. Maybe they were trying to hide it from him, 'to make it easier on me'. They often did that, he could tell. The thought gave him no pleasure. Harry must have been staring into space with a weird look on his face because Ron nudged him and said, 'what?'  
  
'Huh? Oh,.. Nothing.' Hermione and Ron exchanged a knowing look.  
  
Harry, when he thought about it, enjoyed the journey on the train. But he still found it difficult to truly switch off, and just have fun. He needed something to occupy his mind. He was glad for the O.W.L S this year. He wouldn't say anything like that to Ron though. He thought Hermione was bad enough. Both of them studying like crazy might make him kill himself.  
  
It was the time of the evening when the sky was purple, when they travelled in the carriages to Hogwarts castle. A grim thought clouded Harry's mind as he looked at it from the window of the carriage. Hogwarts was the last defence. If it fell, what then? Harry wondered if he would see it from this view ever again? Who would fall first, Harry, or his home? The majority of Harry's summer was spent in morbid thought like this. It might have driven him crazy if it wasn't for constant letters from Hermione, Ron and even a few other students from school. He could have wondered how they got his address. But it never occurred to him to care. Mr Weasley had written him a letter, but it was mostly questions about what muggles did during the summer. Ginny wrote him a letter too, Harry hadn't expected that. It was polite and not at all probing about his feelings, like Hermione's. But it was.Ginny-esque. Harry wondered at her bravery, he would never have written a letter to Cho. He wondered whether he should, but then he wasn't really sure how her felt about her anymore. He still got a pang in his stomach when he thought of her, but it was the complete opposite of the kind he had before the third task. Everything was different now. And, he realised, so probably was Ginny's opinion of him. As Ron and Hermione muttered and argued their way up the steps to the castle together, Harry walked in a trance. He strongly felt like he should savour every moment. He stared at the stone steps trying to etch they're image into his mind. The gargoyles, the doors, the walls. Everything. 'Appreciate everything, before its gone.' He said aloud without noticing.  
  
'What are you going on about?' Ron had stopped to wait and was standing with his hands on his hips and his fiery freckled head to one side.  
  
'Nothing.' Hermione looked unconvinced. 'Come on let's get inside.' Harry pushed past them. Explaining how he felt would be a waste of time he knew that. Ron and Hermione were great but they both tended to get a bit carried away emotionally. Harry didn't know what he was more afraid of. Them not understanding. Or them understanding too much. As Harry sat down at the Gryffindor table he got more 'Alright?'s than in his whole life put together. All he could manage was a half smile, and that seemed good enough for most people.  
  
'Harry?' Ginny had sat down next to him. Harry absentmindedly thought, that she had never done that before. For some reason it cheered Harry up a bit. He liked the idea that she had gotten over him. Harry liked all the Weasleys but never got much of a chance to talk to Ginny.  
  
'Oh hi. Yeah I'm fine' was Harry's automatic response now.  
  
' I didn't ask you how you were.' Hermione and Ron opposite Harry stopped they're conversation and both stared at Ginny.  
  
' Oh sorry'  
  
' Don't worry. Thinking of becoming captain of the Quidditch team this year?'  
  
' Dunno. Hadn't really thought about it.' It was true, he hadn't. He had almost entirely forgotten about Quidditch. It would be impossible for him to forget completely. Ron's letters had made sure of that. 'Dunno if I want more responsibility. Harry was suddenly aware of how true what he had said was. He really didn't want more responsibility. 'You know with O.W.Ls and stuff.' Ron's gasp of indignation and Hermione's smug smile of approval cheered Harry's spirits somewhat. It was good to be thinking about something other than Voldemort for once. And it was Ron's little sister who brought it on. Harry watched as she spun her wand idly in her hand as she spoke to Hermione about exams.  
  
'Blimey! Look Harry! Parvati was right! There was a muggle on the train.'  
  
Harry looked up in the same direction Ron was, and seated at the teachers table between professors Sinistra and Mcgonagall was a muggle. Well someone who looked like a muggle at least. She was a young woman of about 20 with a longish face and pale complexion except for two slightly rosy cheeks and a few freckles. Her hair was dark and about shoulder length. She was biting her nails and nodding at whatever Sinistra was saying. When it was her turn to speak she grinned broadly and spoke what appeared to be very fast with a lot of arm movement. Sinistra moved back in her chair a bit to avoid her failing arms, but laughed at whatever the muggle had said.  
  
' Has it got that desperate for teachers that Dumbledore hired a muggle?' asked Fred.  
  
' I think it would be very beneficial to the school to have a few muggles around. They do exist you know.' Said Hermione looking pointedly at Ron, as if daring him to argue. But Ron was still looking at the muggle. He hadn't heard a word Hermione had said, but laughed at something.  
  
'What's so funny Ron?' asked Ginny.  
  
'Nothing, just something the muggle said.'  
  
'What? How can you hear what she's saying?'  
  
'Oh, I dunno. It's just it seemed funny that's all'  
  
'Gone cuckoo that one has' said George shaking his head and twirling his fingers by his head in the 'crazy' motion. Hermione just looked down at her plate.  
  
A fast moving silence swept over the hall as the first years walked in. Harry indulged himself in a smile as he saw more than a few petrified faces in the little crowd. There were more 1st years this year than any other year Harry had seen. Born in years of 'safety' Harry pondered. And his smile faded.  
  
Of the roughly 60 new students, 8 were Gryffindor. Most were Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. A disturbing 13 were Slytherin. The new 8 were promising though. Another set of twins called Ebony and Aaron joined the table next to Ginny, who introduced all her brothers and Hermione. When she turned to Harry, she said simply.  
  
'And Harry.' There was no gasp of recognition or quick forehead glances, they merely grinned and said 'hello Harry.' Harry grinned back. A tall girl for 11 called Sarah sat down the other side of Ebony and chatted away to her. They were talking about a muggle boy band Harry had heard of. It was then that Harry noticed that, of the 8 new students, 6 were muggle born. A small boy called Michael with curly hair appeared to know a bit about Quidditch and was comparing team performances with an Italian looking boy called Nicky. Apart from that, they all looked overwhelmed and wide-eyed. Some could be pure bloods but hadn't been brought up as wizards, like him. But, Harry reflected, that probably didn't happen often.  
  
After all the new students settled down. Dumbledore stood up and waited for silence. A new Ravenclaw was still giggling excitedly during the silence and had to be gagged to shut up by a 4th year.  
  
'Welcome new students!' I trust you will all be made to feel at home by your fellow housemates in no time at all. The new term will begin on Wednesday when you will be issued your timetables. But before we begin our excellent feast. I feel a few new staff announcements need to be made. Please welcome Professor Fides who will be teaching potions this year.'  
  
There was a whirlwind of murmuring sweeping the hall. Fred and George were shaking their fists in the air with delight. Harry caught a glimpse of the Slytherin table looking considerably less excited. Draco in particular was in an apparent state of shock.  
  
Everyone was staring at the gently smiling Professor Fides. Finally Dumbledore clapped and everyone joined in.  
  
'Don't worry; you will have your old potions master back in no time. Professor Snape.'  
  
There was a loud shriek and everyone looked at Professor Fides. The rosiness had disappeared from her cheeks and her hand was over her mouth. She was staring at Dumbledore in absolute horror. She looked down at her plate and ran her fingers through her hair. Suddenly she looked up aware of the stares and cleared her throat loudly and mumbled 'sorry'.  
  
'Professor Snape will be returning to Hogwarts in two weeks to teach Defence against the Dark Arts. Lessons are suspended until his return. I think that is all. Now on with the feast!'  
  
The golden plates and bowls filled with food and soon everyone was busy chatting and eating away. But Harry continued to watch professor fides. As soon as Dumbledore finished his speech, she angrily rose from the table and stormed over to him. She said things forcefully but quietly into Dumbledore's ear as he chuckled to himself. He seemed to find whatever she was angry about very amusing. Finally she threw up her hands, sighed, and walked back to her seat. She stabbed violently at her food and her flushed face stayed down. She spoke to no one.  
  
'What do you think her problem is?' said Ron looking slightly distant as he continued to stare in professor fides' direction.  
  
'Isn't it obvious? She doesn't like Snape, and only just discovered he worked here.' Informed Hermione grandly, as if there was no other explanation. 'Anyone with sense would dislike him. I'm not surprised she had a nasty shock.'  
  
'That's exactly what Snape is, a nasty shock.' Laughed Ginny  
  
'But she can't be much older than Percy. She would have been taught by him here.' Said George. 'I'll have to write to him and ask if he remembers her.'  
  
'She can't have left here long ago and I certainly don't recognise her.' Said Hermione. 'Why is she dressed as a muggle?' said Harry slowly. Everyone looked as though they had no idea.  
  
'Must have spilt something on her robes.' Said Ron finally tucking into the wealth of food on offer. People stopped talking about the new Professor and moved onto the favourite topic of conversation, Quidditch. Ginny and Hermione were informing the new twins about the daily goings on at Hogwarts. Quashing a few rumours about punishments.  
  
'The caretaker filch would love to do nasty things to us, but Dumbledore won't let him.' reassured Hermione.  
  
'Why does he want to do that?' asked Aaron looking still quite fearful.  
  
'Because he's a bitter old man, ' added Fred. 'Can't do magic you see. Even though he's pure blood. Squibs they call them.'  
  
'What do they call us muggle-borns?' asked ebony. Hermione fidgeted in her seat. She glanced at Ron and Harry.  
  
'Anyone who's decent won't call you anything at all' said Ron firmly. Hermione smiled at Ron, who continued to eat.  
  
'Are there many like us? Everyone here seems to know everything, and we don't know anything. Nothing at all!' Harry smiled to himself and remembered his own similar fears in his first few days at Hogwarts.  
  
'I'm muggle-born. And so is dean down there. There's quite a few of us.'  
  
'What about teachers? Aren't there any muggle-born teachers?'  
  
'No.no actually there aren't.'  
  
'Professor fides might be,' said Ginny. 'We'll ask Percy when we write to him.'  
  
'How is Percy?' asked Harry.  
  
'Dunno, don't see him much.' Mumbled Ron with his mouth full. 'Bit involved with his too loves. Penelope and the ministry.' Everyone laughed. Harry didn't have much of an idea what was going on with the Weasleys. He had spent the entire summer at the Dursleys. Everything had been organised for the last two weeks to be spent at the burrow. But then an attack not far from there quickly changed Dumbledore's mind. Hermione's parents came and took him out for his birthday. They went to London and Madame Tussads and the theatre. Harry had enjoyed it and was very grateful t the grangers for it. He knew how dangerous it must have been for them to do that. But Harry suspected ministry officials were always around them all day. Great as Hermione was, she was no Ron, and Harry found himself talking mostly about him. It wasn't until the journey home that Hermione told him she was a prefect. Harry felt a pang of guilt still, just thinking about it. She obviously had been dying to tell him all day, but didn't. Harry watched her now in her element, describing transfiguration to Sarah. The first year was awed by Hermione's knowledge, as was everybody. Ron was giving her his full attention too, Harry noticed. He inwardly smirked. Actually, thinking about it, Hermione might not have minded all the talk about Ron that day at all. 


End file.
